There has been a recent surge in “virtual world” technologies that allow users to assume virtual identities (e.g. avatars) and possibly also to interact with other users online, such as Second Life, Habbo, Zwinky, Gaia, Club Penguin, Webkinz. These are typically accessed via dedicated websites and subscriptions, and are typically closed systems (i.e. a user in one virtual community cannot directly interact with users in other virtual communities). These online communities sometimes further offer virtual items that can be bought and sold within their virtual worlds, such as virtual furniture, virtual clothing, virtual real estate, etc.
One problem with existing “virtual world” products is that they typically require users to go to specific online destinations to assume virtual identities and to acquire and use virtual items rather than allowing users to assume virtual identities and/or pick up and use virtual items while browsing any website on the Internet. Accordingly, it would be desirable if a system was provided in which users could interact with other users using virtual identities and/or obtain and use virtual objects and virtual goods while they surf anywhere on the worldwide web.
Meanwhile, there has also been a surge in popularity of many other non-virtual social networking applications such as MySpace, Facebook, etc., as well as many dating sites, such as eHarmony.com, Match.com, etc. These applications also generally require users to go to a specific site in order to interact, and do not allow interactions between users while they are otherwise casually surfing the web. These applications also allow users to promote themselves by customizing their home page and having the most visitors. However, the promotion mechanisms are limited and not very effective in reaching out to new users, and so generally users only interact with a limited circle of friends, and users only visit home pages of their friends.
Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/037,019, commonly owned by the present assignee, dramatically advanced the state of the art by providing a method and apparatus for distributing virtual objects such as Virtual Collectibles. According to an aspect of the co-pending application, the system automatically allows users to enter virtual world(s) where Virtual Collectibles can be displayed, used, and traded, and where users can interact with other users. Although this functionality by itself vastly improves upon conventional means of promoting on-line activities, additional improvements are possible by further leveraging the discoveries and functionalities of the co-pending application, including improvements that even further overcome the above-described and other disadvantages.
For example, while the virtual world(s) of the co-pending application allows users to interact with Virtual Collectibles and/or other users in entertaining ways, it would be desirable if the principles of the invention of the co-pending application could be extended to allow for users to customize content and activities in a manner that drives traffic to their own virtual spaces, other virtual spaces within the system or websites, and rewarding users accordingly, thereby encouraging users to spend more time and invest more effort in the system.